Radiohead is a band often lumped into the category of rock and roll. Still, anyone familiar with their catalog of music knows that their music does feature subtle deviations from familiar rock music tropes. Their early music, such as “Pablo Honey” and The Bends,” did settle more in the vein of alternative rock music, albeit with some hints of complexity and innovation that many rock bands of the era avoided.
Why “Paranoid Android” and “Creep” Broke Rock Songwriting Rules
If you’ve studied music composition, you’ll no doubt be familiar with the rock song structure represented as ABABCB, which follows the format of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. Commonly, the verses will change lyrics but retain the same melody, placing added emphasis on the chorus or hook.
Radiohead deviated from this formula on many of their iconic tracks, such as “Paranoid Android,” which could be described as more of a rhapsody, consisting of four distinct sections without a central hook, defying the predictability of the rock formula. Still, the song stands out as a unique composition, much like another famous rhapsody for which Queen is known. It was a deviation from their earlier material, which produced songs like “Creep,” which refused to play live for a very long stretch of their career.
Speaking of “Creep,” there is a section of the song that Jonny Greenwood felt was too soft, so, in an attempt to sully the recording or perhaps show frustration with it, he hit a chord just before the chorus especially hard. The unintended result was a properly angsty presentation of the chord that gave the song a visceral edge. The discography of Radiohead is marked by these dynamic inflections on chords, which bring an attitude to the songs, even when the song itself is quite soft.
The band weaves together some very complex harmonies that often flow through a song simultaneously, adding depth to the compositions that make them enjoyable to listen to repeatedly.
How Radiohead Rewrote the Rules on Instrumentation, Lyrics, and Album Concepts
Another rock song cliché is the instrumentation itself. A rock song traditionally consists of vocals, guitar, bass, and drums – if one of those elements is missing, the band will likely hear about it. Metallica continues to face criticism for the lack of bass on their 1988 album, “…And Justice for All“. Radiohead was never afraid to experiment with different instrumentation, textures, and timbres on their albums. Those experimental instincts would lead them to incorporate both classical and orchestral elements, as well as electronic elements. This was especially evident on their album “Kid A”.
The lyrics of Thom Yorke were much more cerebral and experimental than much of the rock music of the era. He was known to cut up lyrics and rearrange them randomly, perhaps to see if the message would still come through. This was the case on the tracks “Kid A” and “Everything In Its Right Place,” but even when writing lyrics more conventionally on albums like “Hail To The Thief” or “Amnesiac,” they were expertly crafted.
Furthermore, the albums themselves stood as cohesive artistic statements, often focusing on a single concept or a collection of related ideas. This, once again, was a departure from the formulas most record companies would impose on their bands: “We need a hit song, and we need a ballad,” etc. After “Creep” became a hit, the band established itself as a group hellbent on experimenting with their music, and they remained true to that approach throughout their career. Indeed, the success of “Creep” allowed them to build a fan base, thereby affording them the freedom to experiment on later albums. They were true to their artistic vision and refused to be pigeonholed, a straightforward trap to fall into during the nu-metal era. It was marketable to conform to rock tropes. But to their credit, Radiohead remained artistically independent.
This article has explored how Radiohead deviated from traditional rock norms in terms of composition. Still, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that they did retain just enough of a popular rock sound in their music to avoid being cast out of the rock world entirely. They cleverly crafted their music to allow themselves to sit on the edges of the rock space. Their music still appeals to rock music fans, but is distinct enough to give true Radiohead fans a sense of community.
What The Smile Reveals About Radiohead’s Future
It’s been nearly a decade since Radiohead released an album, the highly acclaimed “A Moon Shaped Pool.” Still, Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke have since released albums under the moniker of the Smile, which seems to be even more defiant of rock traditions, pushing the experimentation further into the realms of krautrock, progressive rock, and jazz.
As to whether we will see any new material from Radiohead in the near future, that remains uncertain, but if they do, one can expect it to stray further from rock and roll clichés. Their signature style has served as an inspiration for bands seeking to push the boundaries of what we define as rock music. Their songcraft and compositions serve as a great lesson in doing your own thing while somehow remaining grounded enough to retain a rock-and-roll edge.
